A New Appreciation for The Game
by Rockerbaby423
Summary: For a sport that is more of a hobby, bowling sure has its upsides! BB implied HA. Was originally a oneshot but extended to include more chapters. NOW COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** For a sport that was more of a hobby, bowling sure had its upsides…BB Oneshot

**Spoiler** **Alert:** None

**Disclaimer:** You know the drill; I don't own anything

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Bowling. She hated bowling; it was one of those quasi-sports that were really more of a hobby than anything else. Between her best friend's whining and her partner's patented charm smile, she had no choice but to agree to a night of bowling with the team. Though she'd never admit it, Booth was the only reason she ever agreed to go out with the rest of the squints. _But bowling?_ With an exasperated sigh, Temperance Brennan scoured her closet looking for something to wear.

**xXx**

An hour later, Brennan pulled into the parking lot of Barbara's Bowladrome wearing her favorite jeans, a lace cami layered with a long-sleeve shirt, and a pair of boots. Not that her choice in footwear really mattered, she would just have to take them off anyway. Still pondering the sanitation of rental shoes, she went to meet Angela, Hodgins, Booth, and Zach.

**xXx**

Booth took the seat next to Brennan. He was second to last place by 23 points, just behind Temperance. It was Angela's turn, and she was in first place. As she got up to take her turn, she threw a wink over her shoulder at Brennan. Confused, she looked around at what could have prompted Angela to wink at her. Hodgins and Zach were arguing about the best strategies for winning, and Booth was staring at her. _Booth was staring at her? But why, do I have something in my teeth? _She looked over at him casually, and he immediately withdrew his gaze to the floor in front of him. He was caught but recovered quickly, leaning over and clearing his throat to get her attention.

"Hehmmm."

"What?"

"I'm going to get a Yoohoo, would you like anything to drink?"

"I don't know what that means."

"Of course not, it's a drink. Like chocolate milk only better. You should try one."

"No. I'm fine. I brought a water."

"Suit yourself."

As he sat back down beside Brennan, he rubbed his hands together in anticipation"

"Alright, here we go."

"Booth. Why are you drinking chocolate milk?"

"Because Bones, it helps with my game."

"That's not logical Booth, a drink can't make you bowl better."

"It always does. Don't worry Bones, I'll be in first place in no time."

"I'm not worried," she chided him sarcastically.

"Okay Bones. You willing to make a bet?"

"What are the terms?"

"Well if I beat you, I get a kiss. And if you beat me I'll take you to Wong Fu's afterward."

"If I win, I get a gun."

"Absolutely not Bones."

"Fine. Then if I win, I get to drive during the next case."

"Alright Bones, you got yourself a deal."

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**A/N:** So this has one more chapter, let me know you think it's worth posting.

As always, reviews are much appreciated. Not only do they help me as a writer but also they make me want to post faster…


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary:** For a sport that is more of a hobby, bowling sure has its upsides…BB implied HA. Was originally a oneshot but was extended to include more chapters.

**Spoiler Alert:** None

**Disclaimer:** You know the drill; I don't own anything

**A/N:** I want to thank my two anonymous reviewers for their words of encouragement.

**A/N 2:** One reviewer brought up a valid concern in my story, Booth's bowling ability. It was made clear in the show that Booth can and does bowl very well, however I took a little dramatic license with that to work with the storyline. Sorry if I upset anybody, I meant to say something in the first chapter but totally forgot.

* * *

**Previously in, A New Appreciation for the Game;**

"_Okay Bones. You willing to make a bet?"_

"_What are the terms?"_

"_Well if I beat you, I get a kiss. And if you beat me I'll take you to Wong Fu's afterward."_

"_If I win, I get a gun." _

"_Absolutely not Bones."_

"_Fine. Then if I win, I get to drive during the next case."_

"_Alright Bones, you got yourself a deal."_

**xXx**

Making her way back down the lane Angela paused to allow herself a brief victory dance. _A few more strikes and this game is mine!_

But all thoughts of winning were quickly driven from her head when she saw how closely Booth had leaned in to talk to Brennan.

"Booth, it's your turn!" Angela chirped gleefully, skipping down the remainder of the lane over to the now vacant seat next to Brennan and sitting down hard.

As soon as Booth was out of earshot Angela turned to face her friend, determined to extract every last detail of what had looked like a _very_ interesting conversation.

"So Bren, sweetie. What were you and Booth talking about a minute ago? Anything juicy?"

"There was nothing '-juicy'. He asked me if I was thirsty, he was going to get a drink. That's it. Besides Ange, Booth and I are just partners. There is nothing going on between us."

"First of all, I didn't say anything about you being more than partners. No need to get defensive sweetie, unless you've got something to hide?"

Temperance shot her a seething look, which Angela promptly ignored.

"And secondly, Bren. I don't believe for a minute that there is nothing between you two, and honestly I don't think you do either. I've seen you and Booth, sweetie. There is enough built up sexual tension to power a rocket!"

For fear of getting her ass kicked, Angela decided to abandon her line of questioning for the time being and headed over to Hodgins. She smiled when she saw the way that he was looking at her. Turning back quickly to glance at Brennan, Angela went over and joined Jack.

**xXx**

Five frames later, they tallied up their scores. Booth was in first place, followed by Angela, Brennan, Hodgins, and Zach in last place.

"See Bones, what did I tell you. Yoo-hoo."

"Booth, I refuse to believe that a children's drink had any affect on your bowling ability."

"Well either way Bones," He said, rubbing his hands together. " I won so it looks like _you_ lost the bet. Time to pay up!"

"Sweetie, what bet is that?" Angela inquired with a huge smile plastered across her face.

"Bones and I-"

"Ange. It's nothing, just forget it."

Slightly confused by her friend's outburst, Angela looked from Booth to Brennan. But aside from looking a little uncomfortable there was nothing in their appearances that gave them away. "Okay sweetie. Whatever you say." She raised her eyebrows suggestively; "I'll call you tomorrow."

She turned with a wink and left the bowling alley dragging the still quarreling Zach and Hodgins along with her.

* * *

**A/N 3:** Okay guys so I wanted to update for you as soon as possible thanks to a large number of reviews, this story isn't quite done yet which I honestly thought it would be so be patient-there is about a chapter left. I don't know how soon it will be up though; my friend is having some guy issues that have sort of snowballed. It is hard to write a nice fluffy ending for you all when I'm feeling sad for her and what she is going through! 

And as always please review! They boost my confidence, ability, and if you're lucking my posting speed!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** You know the drill; I don't own anything

**A/N:** I want to thank all my reviewers again. And to anyone who didn't get a reply yet, I'll be sending those out ASAP.

**A/N 2:** This isn't as fluffy as I thought it would be, but there is more fluff to come!

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After returning the rental shoes and placing her own back on her feet, Dr. Temperance Brennan moved swiftly out of the bowling alley and across the parking lot, leaving Booth to jog after her. 

"Bones where are you going? Slow down!"

"I'm going to your car to pick up my copy of the file for the case we closed yesterday, you promised to bring it with you tonight. Did you forget?"

"What? No. Bones. Stop."

Slowing her pace, she turned and allowed him to catch up with her.

"Aren't you forgetting something Bones?"

Brennan quickly checked to make sure that she had everything, keys, purse, and coat. When she doesn't find anything missing, she looks up at Booth with a questioning glance.

"No Bones, I meant the bet."

"Oh, no. I didn't forget. You simply didn't specify when I had to fulfill my end of the bargain. You said that if you won, I would owe you a kiss. There was nothing that implied the time frame under which I was operating. By the way Booth where is your car parked?"

"I…I – it's in the shop. I have a rental, it's right here. But Bones, we had a deal! I won, and it is tradition that the winner gets payment, and right away I might add." _I cannot believe this…how does she always manage to poke logical loopholes in everything!_

"I am not aware of any such tradition, Booth. You never said when I had to hold up my end, only that I had to. Now if you'd unlock your car, I'd like to get the file and go home. The next deadline for my book is in two days and I'd like to finish another few chapters tonight."

Stepping around her, Booth unlocked the rental car and grabbed the file off the passenger's seat. Handing it to her, he got back in to start the heat and warm up the car.

Once, twice, three tries. No luck, the car wouldn't start.

"Hey, Bones before you go, do you think you could give me a jump. My battery's dead."

"Sure, Booth."

As she strode across the parking lot to get her car, Booth opened his trunk in search of the jumper cables. When he didn't find any in the trunk he checked the backseat and the glove compartment, but at no avail.

"Hey Bones, you want to get the cables in your trunk?"

"I don't have them."

"What do you _mean_ you don't have them? Why wouldn't you?"

"Because I don't. Why don't you?"

"Because Bones, this is a rental car and the company didn't leave any in the trunk. You on the other hand have your own car. Why don't you have any in your trunk? That's very dangerous. What if you had a dead battery and you needed a jump? What would you do, huh Bones?"

"Well, I suppose I'd call you to come get me. Or maybe Angela."

"That's just great Bones. You'd call me. Well, now what am I going to do?" _She'd call me?_

"I'll give you a ride home. Tomorrow, I'll pick you up and we can bring some cables and jump the car."

**xXx**

The ride to Booth's was silent as both partners were lost deep in their own thoughts.

Booth couldn't believe the stunt she'd pulled with the bet, or that she didn't have jumper cables in her car. But the thought that most occupied his brain was that she, Temperance Brennan would call _him_ to come get her if her car broke down.

On the other side of the car, Brennan was wondering why on earth Booth would ask for a kiss if he beat her in bowling. Sure she'd fantasized about kissing him, but he couldn't feel that way about her. She wasn't his type; she wasn't tall, leggy, or blond. Was this a joke? Did Angela put him up to it?

**xXx**

The car pulled up to Booth's house, both of them still in thinking about everything that had happened that night. And neither one quite wanting to say goodnight, not yet.

After a few moments, Booth turned to face Brennan.

"Would you like to come in for a drink?"

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**A/N:** Once again, I'd like to say that this story isn't done yet. It just keeps getting longer and longer, and at this point I'm really not sure how many chapters it will end up being. As long as people like it I will try to let the story tell itself. As for the next chapter, I hope to have it up Thursday or so but then again I had no idea this chapter would be up so soon. 

As always please review! I live for a full mailbox. And they boost my confidence, ability, and if you're lucking my posting speed!


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** You know the drill; I don't own anything

**A/N:** This is the final chapter in this story. I want to thank everybody who took the time to review, your opinions and words of encouragement mean a lot to me. And I also want to thanks you all, even those of you who have been quietly reading this that didn't review, for sticking with me during my first go at a multi-chapter fic. It has been a fun, and was _definitely _a learning experience. That said, enjoy!

**Important Note: **As is my privilege as an author, I'm taking a little dramatic license and I ask you to ignore anything you know about Booth's bowling history from the show while reading this chapter. Thank you!

* * *

"Would you like to come in for a drink?" 

"No, I really should go home and work on my manuscript. Maybe another time."

"Ah, come on Bones. Just for a quick drink?"

"I don't know..."

"Bones. You owe me." He said, flashing her a charm smile.

"Does that mean I'm off the hook on our earlier bet if I come in?"

"Absolutely not Bones. You're not getting out of that one."

"Fine. But why do you care so much, it was just a silly bet"

"Irrelevant, Bones. I won fair and square and you'll just have to deal with that. Now, how about that drink?"

He casually leaned against her car, bracing himself with one arm of the roof as he shot her a wink and another smile.

With a grin of her own, she turned off the car and started up the walk behind him.

**xXx**

As they sat in his living room drinking their beers, something he had said was bothering her, 'I won fair and square.' _But how did he win?_ She wasn't the best bowler but she used to go with Russ some Friday nights when she was younger. _And_, she thought, _He was doing awful before the bet…. _She refused to believe his ridiculous claim that Yoo-hoo made him bowl better. She turned to him, taking a careful sip from her bottle, curiosity burning in her crystalline blue eyes.

"How did you do it?"

"Do what Bones? You're going to have to be a little more specific, I'm not a mind reader."

Thank God for small favors, not that she believed in the existence of a higher power.

"Win. How did you win?"

"Well you know Bones, if I told you that I'd have to kill you. And that could get kind of messy…"

He gave her a lopsided grin, but she wasn't taking no for an answer. Sometimes she was too curious for her own good.

"Don't be ridiculous Booth, it's not a matter of national security. I want to know how you won, when we made the bet you were pretty far behind."

" I told you Bones it--"

"The truth, Booth. Please."

He was backed into a corner; he'd have to tell her because She always knew when he was lying. Drawing in a slow breath, he put his empty bottle on the coffee table. She mirrored his action.

"I won because I'm good."

She snorted.

There was no trace of mirth in his voice when he continued, "No, really. I was in a junior league as a kid, and then when I got out of service I started going every Saturday night. It calmed me."

She looked at him, momentarily stunned at her partner's confession.

"So, before the bet…"

"I was sand-bagging, yeah." He finished sheepishly.

The tiny bit of anger that flashed in her eyes at Booth's actions was covered by a second, more powerful emotion, uncertainty.

"But if you knew you'd win, why would you bet for a kiss?"

She held her breath waiting for his answer; her stomach slightly knotted from nerves, afraid of what he would say.

Across from her, he was just as nervous but for a different reason. What if she rejects me?

"Because Bones," He looked her in the eyes, "I knew I wouldn't loose."

Cold realization dawned on her; he wanted her too. He wants me, how come I couldn't see it before?

Leaning over to where sat on the couch, she placed a kiss on his lips. Without another word she started to get up only to find herself pulled back down on top of him.

"Not so fast, I think you owe me interest on that kiss."

She wrapped her arms securely around his neck.

"I think you're right." She replied coyly.

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**A/N:** Once again, I'd like to say thank you for reading. What did you think? Let me know! 

As always please review! I live for a full mailbox. And they boost my confidence, ability, and generally just make me happy!


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